THE SOUND OF LIFE: A Piano Recital with Cristian Sandrin & Jed Distler
Updated: Aug 25
Enescu & Shostakovich — The “Leningrad” Symphony in a Rare Piano Four-Hands Performance
About The Event
Romanian pianist Cristian Sandrin and American pianist, composer, presenter, and critic Jed Distler come together at the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York for THE SOUND OF LIFE, an extraordinary musical encounter presented as part of The Enescu Soirees in New York, one of the Institute’s permanent programs dedicated to promoting Romanian music and musicians and fostering artistic dialogue between Romania and the international cultural scene.
At the heart of the evening is Dmitri Shostakovich’s monumental Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, “Leningrad,” heard in a rare piano four-hands version commissioned by the composer himself. Created against the backdrop of the devastating 872-day Siege of Leningrad, the symphony stands as both a deeply personal testimony and a universal statement about survival in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Composed while Shostakovich was living through the siege—serving simultaneously as head of piano at the Leningrad Conservatoire and as a volunteer firefighter—the Seventh Symphony became inseparable from the history of the city that inspired it. Its first performance in besieged Leningrad, in the midst of starvation, bombardment, and extraordinary loss, transformed the concert hall into a place of collective resistance and hope. The symphony would go on to become one of the defining musical symbols of the Second World War and of the human capacity to endure.
In this unusual four-hands arrangement, the vast orchestral architecture of the Leningrad Symphony is concentrated at the piano, creating an intensely immediate listening experience. Two performers share a single instrument to evoke the scale, violence, tenderness, and inexorable energy of Shostakovich’s score—turning an orchestral monument into an intimate encounter between four hands, one piano, and a work of extraordinary historical weight.
The program opens with George Enescu’s Piano Sonata, Op. 26 No. 1 in F-sharp minor, offering a contrasting moment of introspection and expressive intensity before moving into the turbulent sound world of Shostakovich.
Bringing together Enescu and Shostakovich, and the distinct artistic perspectives of Cristian Sandrin and Jed Distler, the program creates a dialogue between Romanian and international musical traditions through one of the most enduring universal languages: music.
THE SOUND OF LIFE is more than a performance of a celebrated twentieth-century masterpiece. It is an invitation to listen differently—to experience how music can preserve memory, confront violence, and give voice to the human instinct to survive.
Program
George Enescu (1881–1955)
Piano Sonata, Op. 26 No. 1 in F-sharp minor
III. Andante molto espressivo
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, “Leningrad”
Piano four-hands version
II. Moderato
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro non troppo
Meet the Artists
CRISTIAN SANDRIN, Piano
Romanian pianist Cristian Sandrin has built an international reputation for his imaginative programming, refined musical artistry, and captivating performances across a repertoire spanning the Classical and Romantic traditions through contemporary music. Born in Bucharest into a family of musicians, he is the son of pianist and professor Sandu Sandrin. He studied at the “Dinu Lipatti” National College before continuing his education at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he graduated with distinction and received numerous awards, including the William Sterndale Bennett Prize and the Harold Craxton Prize for chamber music. Sandrin’s career has taken him to major concert halls and cultural institutions across Europe and North America, including Wigmore Hall, the Romanian Athenaeum, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Queen Elizabeth Hall, as well as international festivals. Alongside his performing career, he serves as co-artistic director of the Kettner concert series in London, where he develops innovative programs and supports emerging artists and contemporary composers. A leading interpreter of the classical and pre-classical repertoire, Sandrin has received international critical recognition for his recordings, including praise from BBC Music Magazine and the Critics’ Choice 2025 distinction from the American Record Guide.
“Sandrin’s rich tones manifest themselves in a wonderful diversity.”— Fanfare Magazine
“This album is a blessing for the diversity of pianistic expression and allows us to hear an incredibly talented pianist.”— Piano News Deutschland
“A magical debut album from a young artist to watch.”— Artalinna Magazine, France
“His interpretation ranks among the most extraordinary (...) he is a pianist to watch and, for any self-respecting performer, one to envy and emulate.”— Critics’ Choice 2025, American Record Guide
JED DISTLER, Piano
American pianist, composer, presenter, and critic Jed Distler has earned an international reputation as one of the most versatile figures in contemporary musical life. Equally active as a performer, educator, composer, and writer, he has premiered works by numerous leading contemporary composers while maintaining an active career as a recitalist and chamber musician. Distler is an artist-in-residence at WWFM The Classical Network, where he hosts the acclaimed radio programs Between the Keys and Piano Excursions. He is also artistic director of ComposersCollaborative, through which he has developed and presented innovative new music projects for three decades.
His recordings and compositions have appeared on such labels as Naxos, Decca, Bridge, New World, and Nonesuch, while his writing on music has been featured in publications including Gramophone and ClassicsToday. A distinctive voice in New York’s musical landscape, Distler combines intellectual curiosity, adventurous programming, and a deep commitment to contemporary music with the craft of an accomplished pianist.
“A truly extraordinary pianist.”— Newark Star-Ledger
“The downtown keyboard wizard.”— The New Yorker
“A witty, brilliant, and adventurous pianist and composer.”— The New York Times
